Festival Napa Valley’s 18th season, held from July 6-21, 2024, once again enthralled audiences with a grand celebration of music, art, and culinary brilliance. This summer’s event, featuring diverse performances and initiatives, showcased the festival’s commitment to artistic excellence and its significant impact on community engagement.
With a blend of international stars, emerging talent, and innovative programs, the festival’s dedication extends beyond the stage with impactful education programs for youth and seniors and tuition-free academies, fostering a thriving and engaged community.
The Frost School of Music at Festival Napa Valley’s Blackburn Music Academy provided an unparalleled educational experience for 60 pre-professional young instrumentalists from around the world. Under the leadership of flautist Jennifer Grim and a core faculty of musicians from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami and leading orchestras and institutions, including a Philadelphia Orchestra concertmaster David Kim, the academy gave participants the chance to study and participate in chamber and orchestral concerts, workshops, and a variety of professional development activities.
The Bouchaine Young Artist Series continued its tradition of discovering and promoting extraordinary talent with a sold-out series of three concerts featuring New Zealand-born American violinist Geneva Lewis, Mexican American pianist Daniela Liebman, and Russian harpist Alisa Sadikova, with guest appearances by BYA alumna, pianist Audrey Vardanega, and Napa native, ballet dancer Emma Zoe Harris.
Recognizing the importance of bringing joy and engagement to all community members, Festival Napa Valley continued to expand its robust program to bring the arts to underserved communities. This included daily Meet the Musician concerts for the Boys and Girls Club of Napa Valley, reaching hundreds of children ages 6-18, many of whom never had the chance before to interact with professional musicians. And for the first time since the pandemic, the festival returned to the California Veterans Home, with singer/songwriter Matt Costa leading a moving concert and conversation with a large and enthusiastic group of residents, showing the festival’s commitment to spreading joy and inclusivity.
The Joel Revzen Conducting Prize, established in memory of the beloved conductor, continues to support emerging talent. This year’s recipient, rising star Italian conductor Filippo Ciabatti, led the Grand Cru Classics and Symphonic Finale concerts while mentoring the participants of the Blackburn Music Academy. His appearance was supported, in part, by the Italian Cultural Institute.
This year, the Khaledi Prize for excellence and innovation in classical music was awarded to the crossover supergroup, Time for Three. The two-violin, bass, and vocals trio dazzled audiences on several occasions during the festival, including the Donor Exclusive at Antinori and the Symphonic Finale, where they performed “Contact” by Kevin Puts (which earned them a Grammy last year), as well as a rousing pop-up appearance at Freemark Abbey.
The Manetti Shrem Opera and Opera Program brought the magic of opera to the festival once again with a full-scale production of Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio, featuring soprano Brenda Rae, tenor Michele Angelini, bass David Soar, Volti Chorale,and fellows of the Manetti Shrem Opera Program, directed by Jean-Romain Vesperini. Festival Orchestra Napa was conducted by Carlo Montanaro.
The Novack Concerts for Kids series continued to delight young audiences with engaging family performances, presented this summer for hundreds of students from the Boys and Girls Club by the Flamenco Quadro with Pirouz de Caspio & Carola Zertucheand pianist Daniela Liebman in a bilingual English/Spanish program.
The Olivia Decker Power of Music series highlighted the transformative power of music this summer with Grand Cru Classics, an unforgettable orchestral concert on the Festival Napa Valley Stage at Charles Krug. The evening featured star violinist Ray Chen in Mendelssohn’s violin concerto and festival favorite pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet in Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” celebrating the iconic work’s 100th anniversary. The Mendelssohn concerto was accompanied by stunning, original visual artwork projected on the Festival’s giant LED wall, part of the Suzanne Deal Booth Visual Arts Program.
Taste of Napa, Festival Napa Valley’s signature tasting event, celebrated the bounties of wine country and Napa Valley’s role as leader in the world of wine and hospitality with more than 70 wineries, breweries, restaurants, and culinary artisans, including the Wines of Great Britain, participating this year at the Meritage Resort and Spa. DJ Lady Ryan and the dance band Neon Velvetentertained the crowd of over 1,000, who could also play in Audi Ring Swing and life-sized games in Kaiser Permanente Thrive’s play court.
In addition to in-person events, Festival Napa Valley expanded its reach through a livestream of the Symphonic Finale concert in partnership with The Violin Channel, reaching thousands of music lovers worldwide.
Many audience members and participants alike commented that it was the festival’s best year ever, creating an unparalleled experience that has become unique in the world. The overwhelming success and positive feedback from the 2024 edition have set the stage for an even more exciting and memorable Festival Napa Valley in 2025. Mark your calendars for the next edition, July 11-20, 2025!